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Marlins' Calvin Faucher Suddenly Dominating After One Simple Change
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- Marlins' Calvin Faucher Suddenly Dominating After One Simple Change
Miami Marlins pitcher Calvin Faucher. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
For the first month of the season, Miami Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher wasn't wearing glasses. Over the course of 11 innings spread across 13 appearances, he had a 4.91 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a concerning 12 walks. Command was an issue, to say the least.
And then on May 3, Faucher saw the light - literally.
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It was on that day that Faucher entered a game against thePhiladelphia Philliesand threw an inning of scoreless baseball. He set the side down in order, striking outBrandon Marsh. Unfortunately, the Miami Marlins lost. For Faucher, though, it was a major win.
In the four appearances since that moment, Faucher has continued to wear glasses and dominate. He's thrown five shutout innings since putting the spectacles over his eyes, with the most impressive feat being the lack of free passes.
Faucher has walked just one hitter -Drew Millaswalked on five pitches in the top of the seventh before being erased on a double play by the very next hitter in last night's 5-2 Marlins victory - over his last five innings of work, a complete change of pace from where he was at the beginning of the season.
Now his ERA is at a respectable 3.38, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is a whole lot prettier. It's a wonder what a change of scenery - perhaps literally in the case of Faucher, who now sees the scenery even better - can do for a player.
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For Faucher, it appears that all it took was for him to gain the power of eyesight.
Faucher's Glasses Quickly Became Running Joke
Miami Marlins pitcher Calvin Faucher. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
While Faucher's newfound prowess is a revelation for the Marlins' bullpen, the way it occurred immediately became somewhat of a joke - in a good way - online. How could it not, though? A pitcher who wasn't wearing glasses suddenly puts some on and immediately becomes one of the better hurlers on a staff? That's the lowest-hanging fruit there is!
It also doesn't help that he kind of looks likeCharlie Sheen's character from Major League , but that's beside the point.
Whether the glasses were the sole reason for the change will probably never be known, but what is certain is that the Marlins have to be extremely happy with this development.
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If this can keep up, then this Miami bullpen is going to be one not to be trifled with. Because with his arm reared up and ready to go - and his eyes working on all cylinders - the Marlins can pitch the lights out for the rest of the season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/marlins/onsi as Marlins' Calvin Faucher Suddenly Dominating After One Simple Change .
